Clasp brake arrangement



Jan. 31, 1939. w. H. BASELT CLASP BRAKE ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 29, 1937' 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 31, 1939. w. H. BASELT CLASP BRAKE ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 29, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 MW w W Jan. 31, 1939. w BASELT 2,145,578

CLASP BRAKE ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 29, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 31, 1939 UNITED, STATES P-ATEN CLASP BRAKE ARRANGEMENT Walter H. Baselt, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., I a corporation of New Jersey Application September 29, 1937, Serial No. 166,239

18 Claims. (Cl. 188-56) are relatively frequent owing to wheel wear. In

more recent designs of railway trucks clearance conditions are distinctly limited inasmuch as the maximum available space is utilized for the low angling designs of car bodies. In these modern and compact arrangements of railway trucks.

great diiiiculty is sometimes encountered-in manipulating and removing the parts necessary in order to make a wheel change.

It is an object of my invention to improve clasp brake designs of the type above described in order to facilitate wheel change.-

A further object of my invention is todesign a novel form of strap connection between brake levers supported at opposite-sides of a wheel when the straps straddle the wheel and are connected at their opposite ends to the lower ends of said levers. p

A more specific object of my invention is to make such a novel form of connection as above described when a slack adjuster is incorporated to permit accommodation for the wear of brake shoes and wheels.

The above objects as well as others are accomplished in the novel structure shown in the accompanying drawings and described hereinafter wherein I have shown for purposes of illustratlon fragmentary portions of a truck and brake structure in accordance with that shown in Pat-- ent No. 2,086,840, issued July 13, 1937, in the name of Ray G. Aurien.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a truck and brake Figure 3 is a fragmentary end view of the truck and brake structure shown in Figure 1. the view being taken from the right as seen in that figure; Figure 4 is a top plan view of a double jaw forming a part of my novel structure; v

Figure 5 is a side elevation thereof; and Figure 6 is an end view, the view being taken from the right as seen in Figures 4 and 5;

Figure '7 is a side elevation of my novel formof} strap structure; 7

Figure 8 is an end elevation of a novel-form of brake lever incorporated in my improved arrangement; Figure 9 is a top plan view of the slack adjuster incorporated in my improved arrangement; and

Figure 10 is avertical section through the slack adjuster structure shown in Figure 9, the section being taken substantially in the plane indicate by the line ill-l0 of Figure 9.

It may be noted that the arrangement shown 15 comprises the truck frame generally indicated at- 2, having the integrally formed transom 4 and the pedestal jaws 6, 6 forming the usual means of connection with the wheel and axle assembly 8. The journal ends of the axle (not shown) form a, means of. support for the equalizers l0, l0 (Figure 2) upon which may be positioned the spring seat l2 carrying the spring group shown diagrammatically at l4 upon which the truck frame 2 is seated in the usual manner as at Ill.

The brake rigging comprises the dead lever] id of hanger lever type outwardly of the wheel pivotally supported as at 20 from'the truck frame and carrying intermediate its ends at the pivotal r; oFFl'cE 1 justable as by means ofthe elongated s1ots 3l in the straps 30 associated with the manual slack adjuster. The opposite ends of the paired straps 30, 30 are adjustably connected as at 34" to the double jaw 36 shown in detail in Figures 4, 5 and 6. The double jaw 36 provides a connecting I means between'the paired straps 80, 30 and the "brake lever 40, facilitating the dismantling of the I 45..

connected as at 38 by'means of the bolt and nut assembly. 50 to the lower end of the live brake brake rigging for the purpose of wheel change. The opposite end of the double jaw 36 is pivotally lever 40, operating means being connected at theupper end of said live brake lever as at 4| and; at e an intermediate point thereof is pivotally supported as at 42 the brake'head 44 and the asso-f' ciated brake "shoe 46. The live lever 40 is sup-.- ported vby the paired hangers 31, 31 having a pi'v-. I

otal connection at their upper ends with the truck frame as at 88 and being connected at their lower a long bolt and nut assembly. This is true because if the bolt is assembled with the head outboard it would be impossible to remove because of the interference ofthe equalizer, whereas if it were assembled with the head inboard there would be insufficient room to apply the retaining washer and nut. If the ordinary connection were used, therefore, between the lever 40 and the straps 30, 30 wheel change could be accomplished only by disconnecting the lever 40 from its supporting hanger and from the connections at its upper end and then swinging the straps and the lever clear of the wheels. Accordingly, I have introduced the double jaw connection 36 adjustably secured to the paired straps 30, 30 at 34 as previously described, securing means between the double jaw and the said straps being in the form of the bolt and nut assembly 52 with the head of said bolt outboard. When it is desired to make a wheel change the double jaw 36 is disconnected from the lower end of the brake lever 40 by the removal of the relatively short bolt 50, said double jaw thus serving to retain the strap assembly as a unit when it is swung away to permit the wheel change.

Referring more particularly to Figures 4, and 6, it may be observed that the double jaw comprises a body casting having the longitudinal channels 54, 54 in the side walls 55, 55 at opposite sides of the casting as defined by the top and bottom flanges 56, 56 which serve as positioning means for the paired straps 30, 30 which are seated in the channels 54, 54. The casting comprises a horizontal plate portion 58 centrally reinforced by the vertical flange 80 and defined by the front wall portion 62 and the rear wall 64. The cored openings 66, 66 in the horizontal plate portion 58 prevent the accumulation of water or other extraneous matter in the pocket formed by the side walls and the end walls. On the rear walls are the lugs 68, 68 having aligned openings 10, 10, the juncture of the lugs 68 with the rear wall 64 being reinforced by horizontal flanges 12 and-14. The aligned openings define the pivot point 38 at which the lower end of the brake lever 40 is secured by means of the bolt and nut assembly 50 as previously described. The side walls of the double jaw casting have the aligned openings '16, 16 defining the point of connection with the paired straps 30, 30 by means of the bolt and nut assembly 52 as previously described. The novel form of the paired straps 30, 30 is shown in Figure '7 wherein it will be observed that the elongated slot 3| provides, through the medium of the slack adjuster 32, an adjustable connection for the lower end of the dead lever I8 at' the pivot point 28; The hushed opening 80 at one extremity of the strap provides a means of connection with the trunnion portion of the slack adjuster to be hereafter described. At the opposite ends of the strap are a series of openings 82, 82 providing an adjustable connection with the double jaw 36, one of 'the openings 82 in each strap being aligned with the opening 16 in one side wall of the double jaw 36, said connection being secured as previously described by the nut and bolt assembly 52, said double jaw and paired straps being maintained in longitudinal alignment with each other by engagement of the edges of said straps with the previously described longitudinal flanges 56, 56 formed on the side walls thereof. The semi-circular slot 84 formed at this end of the strap 30 is designed to permit the strap 30 to clear the bolt and nut assembly 50 when the straps 36 are shortened, in effect, by assembling the innermost of the openings 82 at the point 34.

The slack adjusting device 32 is substantially that shown in Hedgcock Patent No. 1,600,822, dated September 21, 1926, modified to facilitate the operation of my novel method of connection between the brake levers at the opposite sides of the wheel. Figure 9 shows the general structure of the slack adjusted wherein the transverse member 86 has the trunnion portions 88, 88 for reception of the straps 30, 30, the end openings 80 of said straps being received over said trunnions and secured thereon by the bolt and nut assembly 89. Proper alignment between the straps and the slack adjusted is maintained by the positioning of the straps within the longitudinally arranged channels 90, 90 defined by the top and bottom flanges 92, 92 formed on the square washers 94, 94 forming a part of the bolt and nut assembly generally indicated at 96 which provides the securing means at the pivot point 28 previously described. The transverse member 86 has the central opening 98 for the reception of the elongated housing I00 which is threaded internally at its inner end as at I02 to form a means of connection with the threaded rod I04, said threaded rod having on its inner end the cylindrical block I06 having the transverse central opening I08 for the reception of the bolt 96. The elongated housing is flanged over on its inner end as at H0, forming an abutment against the transverse member 86, and said housing I00 may be rotated within the transverse member 86, thus altering at will the relative position between the transverse member 86 and the bolt and nut asembly 96 to provide'for slack adjustment as previously mentioned.

In the ordinary slack adjuster arrangement, spacer means in the form of thimbles are normally provided in the spaces between the square washers 94, 94 at opposite ends of the bolt and nut assembly 96 and the cylindrical block I06 centrally assembled thereon. In my device, however, I have provided a novel arrangement in order to reduce the number of parts and accommodate dismantling for wheel changes as above described. This arrangement consists of the novel form of brake lever I8 which is bifurcated at its lower end as most clearly shown in Figure 8, thus forming a yoke-like structure 2 at the lower end of said lever I8. The brake lever I8 has a body portion of the usual form, a side elevation of which is shown at the right of Figure 1 wherein may be clearly observed the relation of the pivot points 20, 22 and 28. The opposite sides of the yoke portion I I2 of the lever l8 have the aligned openings H4, H4 defining the pivot point 28 and for the reception of the bolt 96 (Figure 9). From a consideration of the foregoing it will be apparent that by this novel structure I have devised an arrangement whereby a wheel change is greatly facilitated in such a truck and brake arrangement as that I have described. In this arrangement a wheel change may be effected by the removal of the bolt and nut assembly 80, thus permitting the straps I0, 30 to fall away from their connection with the lower end of the live brake lever 40, and the double jaw casting 36 remaining secured to the ends of the straps 30, 30. If desirable, the opposite ends of the straps may be disconnected entirely and if such an operation is found desirable the slack adjuster arrangement has been simplified by providing the bifurcated lower end or yoke means H2 on the lower end of the dead brake lever l8. By this means I have eliminated the spacers ordinarily used which are unusually diflicult to align when the parts are being re-assembled. It will thus be seen that a wheel change in this type of truck and brake arrangement may be accomplished in a very short time as compared with the relatively intricate task heretofore found necessary which required dismantling of the truck or of the brake rigging.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiments of the device shown which are merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In clasp brake rigging for a railway car, a truck frame, a supporting wheel and axle, a hanger lever and a live lever supporting brake heads and brake shoes for engagement with said wheel, a bifurcated end on said hanger lever, a slack adjuster secured to said bifurcated end, retaining means pivotally secured to the lower end of said live lever, and paired straps straddling said wheel below said axle and connected at opposite ends respectively to said retaining means and to said slack adjuster, the connection between said straps and said securing means being adjustable.

2. In a railway brake rigging, a truck framework, a supporting wheel and axle and clasp brake rigging comprising brake levers hung from said frame and carrying brake heads and brake shoes for engagement with said wheel, a bifurcated end on one of said levers, a cast steel double jaw on the other of said levers, and paired straps straddling said wheel below said axle, said paired straps having at one end an adjustable connection withsaid double jaw and having at their opposite end a connection with said bifurcated end through the medium of a slack adjuster.

3. In a railway brake rigging a truck framev work, a supporting wheel and axle and clasp brake rigging comprising brake levers hung from said frame and carrying brake heads and brake shoes for engagement with said wheel, a bifurcated end on one of said levers, a cast steel double jaw on the other of said levers, and paired straps straddling said wheel below said axle, said paired straps having at one end an adjustable connection with said double jaw and having at their opposite end a connection with said bifurcated end.

4. In a railway car, a truck frame, a supporting wheel and axle, brake levers hung from said frame and supporting brake heads and brake shoes for engagement with said wheel, one of said levers having a birfurcated lower end, a double jaw connected to the lower end of the other of said levers, and straps passing below said axle and connected at opposite ends respectively to said double jaw and to said bifurcated lever, the connection between said straps and said bifurcated lever being in the form of a slack adjuster.

5. In a railway car, a truck frame, a supporting wheel and axle, a dead lever having a bifurcated lower end supported from said frame at one side of said wheel, a live lever supported from said frame at the opposite side of said wheel, a double jaw connected to one of said levers, a slack adjuster connected to the other of said levers, and straps straddling said wheel below the level of said axle and interconnected between said double jaw and said slack adjuster.

6. In a railway car, a truck frame, asupporting wheel and axle and clasp brake rigging comprising brake levers hung from said frame and supporting brake heads and brake shoes for engagement with said wheel, and paired straps supported on opposite sides of said wheel and connected at one end to one of said levers through the medium of a double jaw and connected at their opposite end to the other of said levers through the medium of a slack adjuster.

7. In a clasp brake rigging for a railway car, a truck frame, a supporting wheel and axle, live and dead levers hung from said frame and carrying brake heads and brake shoes for engagement with said wheel, a bifurcated lower end on one of said levers, a double jaw on the other of said levers, and straps interconnected on opposite sides of said wheel below said axle between said double jaw and said bifurcated lever.

8. In a railway car, a truck frame, a supporting wheel and axle, and clasp brake rigging comprising a hanger lever on one side of said wheel. a live lever on the opposite side of said wheel, said hanger lever having a bifurcated lower end, a slack adjuster connected to said bifurcated end, connection means on the lower end of said live lever, and paired straps straddling said wheel below said axle and interconnected between said slack adjuster and said connection means.

9. In a railway car, a truck frame, a supporting wheel and axle, brake levers hung from said frame and supporting brake heads and brake shoes for engagement with said wheel, one of said levers having a bifurcated lower end, a double jaw connected to the lower end of the other of said levers, and straps interconnected between said bifurcated end and said double jaw.

10. In a railway car, a truck frame, a supporting wheel and axle assembly and clasp brake rigging comprising levers supporting brake heads and brake shoes for engagement with said wheel, a double jaw supported at the lower end of one of said levers, and straps supported on opposite sides of said wheel and adjustably connected at one end to another of said levers, said straps being adjustably connected at the opposite end to said double jaw.

11. In a railway car. a truck frame, a supporting wheel and axle, brake levers hung from said frame and supporting brake heads and brake shoes for engagement with said wheel, one of said levers having a bifurcated lower end, a double shoes for engagement with said wheel, straps I passing below said axle and adjustably connected at one end to one of said levers and adjustably Gil connected at their opposite end to a double law, said double jaw providing a means, of connection to the other of said levers.

13. In a railway brake rigging, a truck frame, a wheel and axle disposed in supporting relation thereto, and clasp brake rigging comprising live and dead levers. brake heads and brake shoes for engagement with said wheel, straps connecting said levers on opposite sides of said wheel below said axle, said straps having adjustable connections at both ends, the connection at one end being in the form of a cast steel double jaw.

14. In brake rigging for a railway car, a truck frame, a supporting wheel and axle, a brake rigging hung from said frame and including live and dead levers supported at opposite sides of said wheel, straps connecting said levers on opposite sides of said wheels, said straps having at one end an adjustable connection with one of said levers and at their opposite end a connection to the other of said levers through the medium of a double jaw.

15. In clasp brake rigging for a railway car, a truck frame, a supporting wheel and axle, live and dead brake levers hung from said frame and supporting brake heads and brake shoes for engagement with said wheel, a double jaw connected to said live lever, a bifurcated end on said dead lever, a slack adjuster connected to said bifurcated end, and straps straddling said wheel below said axle and interconnected between said double Jaw and said slack adjuster.

16. In a railway car, a truck frame, a supporting wheel and axle, a dead lever hung from said frame outwardly of said wheel, a live lever hung from said frame inwardly oi said wheel, a bifurcated end on said dead lever, a slack adjuster connected to said bifurcated end, a double jaw connected to said live lever, and paired straps below the level of said axle interconnected between said double Jaw and said slack adjuster.

17. In clasp brake-rigging for a railway car, a truck frame, a supporting wheel and axle, a hanger lever and a live lever supporting brake heads and brake shoes for engagement with said wheel, a bifurcated end on said hanger lever, a slack adjuster secured to said bifurcated end, retaining means pivotally secured to the lower end of said live lever, and paired straps straddling said wheel below said axle and interconnected between said retaining means and said slack adjuster.

18. In clasp brake rigging for a railway car, a cast steel double jaw having lateral guide ways and securing means for connection at one end to paired straps and having at its opposite end lugs with aligned openings providing a means of pivotal connection with the brake lever.

WAL'I'ER H. BASELT. 

